that have already tasted of the water of Lethe, and likewise been in the deadly den of Styx? Leave off, I pray, leave off, and let me lie in quiet rest. When these words were uttered by the dead corpse, the Prophet drew nigh unto the bier and said, I charge thee to tell before the face of all the people here the occasion of thy death: What, dost thou think that I cannot by my conjurations call up the dead, and by my puissance torment thy body? Then the corpse moved his head again, and made reverence to the people and said, Verily I was poisoned by the means of my wicked wife, and so thereby yielded my bed unto an adulterer. Whereat his wife taking present audacity, and reproving his sayings, with a cursed mind did deny it. The people were bent against her sundry ways, some thought best that she should be buried alive with her husband: but some said that there ought no credit to be given to the dead body. Which opinion was clean taken away, by the words which the corpse spoke again and said, Behold I will give you some evident token, which never yet any other man knew, whereby you shall perceive that I declare the truth: and by and by he pointed towards me that stood on the stone, and said, When this the good guard of my body watched me diligently in the night, and that the wicked witches and enchantresses came into the chamber to spoil me of my limbs, and to bring such their purpose did transform themselves into the shape of beasts: and when as they could in nowise deceive or beguile his vigilant eyes, they cast him into so dead and sound a sleep, that by their witchcraft he seemed without spirit or life. After this they did call me by my name, and never did cease till as the cold members of my body began by little and little and little to revive. Then he being of more lively soul, howbeit buried in sleep, in that he and I were named by one name, and because he knew not that they called me, rose up first, and as one without sense or perseverance passed by the door fast closed, unto a certain hole, whereas the witches cut off first his nose, and then his ears, and so that was done to him which was appointed to be done to me. And that such their subtlety might not be perceived, they made him a like pair of ears and nose of wax: wherefore you may see that the poor miser for lucre of a little money sustained loss of his members. Which when he had said I was greatly astonied, and minding to prove whether his words were true or no, put my hand to my nose, and my nose fell off, and put my hand to my ears and my ears fell off. Whereat all the people wondered greatly, and laughed me to scorn: but I being stricken in a cold sweat, crept between their legs for shame and escaped away. So I disfigured returned home again, and covered the loss of mine ears with my long hair, and glued this cloth to my face to hide my shame. As soon as Bellephoron had told his tale, they which sat at the table replenished with wine, laughed heartily. And while they drank one to another, Byrrhena spake to me and said, from the first foundation of this city we have a custom to celebrate the festival day of the god Risus, and tomorrow is the feast when as I pray you to be present, to set out the same more honorably, and I would with all my heart that you could find or devise somewhat of yourself, that might be in honour of so great a god. To whom I answered, verily cousin I will do as you command me, and right glad would I be, if I might invent any laughing or merry matter to please or satisfy Risus withal. Then I rose from the table and took leave of Byrrhena and departed. And when I came into the first street my torch went out, that with great pain I could scarce get home, by reason it was so dark, for fear of stumbling: and when I was well-nigh come unto the door, behold I saw three men of great stature, heaving and lifting at Milo’s gates to get in: and when they saw me they were nothing afeard, but assayed with more force to break down the doors whereby they gave me occasion, and not without cause, to think that they were strong thieves. Whereupon I by and by drew out my sword which I carried for that purpose under my cloak, and ran in amongst them, and wounded them in such sort that they fell down dead before my face. Thus when I had slain them all, I knocked sweating and breathing at the door till Fotis let me in. And then full weary with the slaughter of those thieves, like Hercules when he fought against the king Gerion, I went to my chamber and laid me down to sleep.
Book III
XII
How Apuleius was taken and put in prison for murder.
When morning was come, and that I was awaked from sleep, my heart burned sore with remembrance of the murder I had committed the night before: and I rose and sat down on the side of the bed with my legs across, and wringing my hands, I wept in most miserable sort. For I imagined with myself, that I was brought before the judge in the judgment place, and that he awarded sentence against me, and that the hangman was ready to lead me to the gallows. And further I imagined and said, Alas what judge is he that is so gentle
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